ANDROS TOWNSEND FIRED Everton into the Carabao Cup third round after they overcame the straight red card shown to Moise Kean to claim a 2-1 victory over Huddersfield at the John Smith’s Stadium.
An Everton side featuring nine changes from the side that were held to a 2-2 draw at Leeds at the weekend looked to be up against it when Alex Iwobi’s goal was cancelled out by Tom Lees before Kean was giving his marching orders.
The Italian, who had earlier had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside, allowed his frustrations to get the better of him in an off-the-ball incident with Sorba Thomas, but Townsend’s first Everton goal made sure there was no cup upset.
Jack Harrison fired a late double as Leeds sealed their place in the third round of the Carabao Cup with a 3-0 home win against Crewe.
Skipper-for-the-night Kalvin Phillips finally broke Crewe’s stubborn resistance deep in the second half and Harrison sent a full house at Elland Road home happy with two more in the closing stages.
Not since a 1-0 third-round defeat to Liverpool in 2009 had Elland Road sold out for a League Cup tie and after a chanceless opening 20 minutes Leeds shifted through the gears.
Cameron Archer scored a hat-trick on a dream first start for Aston Villa as Dean Smith’s much-changed side cruised to a comprehensive 6-0 Carabao Cup win at Barrow.
Having returned to the competition last season after 48 years playing non-league football, the TV cameras were in town as Mark Cooper looked to oversee one of the Bluebirds’ greatest cup triumphs.
But Villa spoiled the party at a sell-out Dunes Hotel Stadium, where 19-year-old full debutant Archer scored his first three goals for the club in the second-round tie.
The youth product’s first came just 10 minutes into the match in Cumbria, where Anwar El Ghazi – the sole survivor from Saturday’s Premier League win against Newcastle – cheekily dispatched a first-half penalty.
The 26-year-old volleyed home his second of the night just before the break, then set up Archer to superbly add the visitors’ fourth.
Frederic Guilbert struck before Archer completed an unforgettable hat-trick on a night when Barrow were unable to give the majority of the 5,349 in attendance a goal to cheer.
Wolves overcame an inspired performance from United States goalkeeper Ethan Horvath to advance to the third round of the Carabao Cup with a 4-0 win at Nottingham Forest.
Horvath helped Forest frustrate Wolves for almost an hour, but two goals in two minutes from Romain Saiss and Daniel Podence and a late strikes from substitute Francisco Trincao and Morgan Gibbs-White saw the Premier League side secure victory.
An 86th-minute goal from Ashley Fletcher on his full debut ensured Watford made it through to the Carabao Cup third round at the expensive of Premier League rivals Crystal Palace.
The tie at Vicarage Road seemed destined for a penalty shoot-out until the summer signing tapped home at the back post to earn the Hornets a 1-0 victory which leaves new Eagles boss Patrick Vieira winless and without a goal after three matches in charge.
Last season’s Carabao Cup giantkillers Brentford almost got a taste of their own medicine before coming from behind to beat Forest Green 3-1.
Brentford, who knocked out four top-flight sides on their way to the semi-finals last year, fell behind to an early goal from Rovers’ Jack Aitchison.
Now a Premier League club themselves, the Bees needed second-half goals from Yoane Wissa, substitute Bryan Mbeumo and Marcus Forss averted an upset at the Community Stadium.
Norwich cruised into the third round of the Carabao Cup with a 6-0 thrashing of Bournemouth at Carrow Road.
Three first-half goals, including an opener from £8.8million summer signing Christos Tzolis, effectively settled a tie between two virtual second string sides, with rival managers Daniel Farke and Scott Parker making a total of 18 changes between them from the weekend.
Tzolis and Joshua Sargent hit a brace apiece, while Kenny McClean and Lukas Rupp also scored for Norwich.
